Strong box



Aug. 15, 1933. c. F. MEILINK ET AL STRONG BOX Filed May 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Aug. 15, 1933 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 7 STRONG BOX Charlesv F. Meilink and Kenneth C. Weatherby, Toledo, Ohio, assignors to the Meilink Steel Safe Company, Toledo, Ohio, a Corporation of Ohio Application May 7, 1931. Serial No. 535,590

5 Claims. (01. 109-1) This invention relates to safes and the loading portion remote from the hinge to swing into a porthereof. tion of the opening 20.

This invention has utility when incorporated in Fortification of the strong box proper is had by vestibule-providing money safes, especially when the design of the loading or weighting mass 2.

5i loaded with a protecting weighted mass. This concrete is specially selected and mixed for Referring to the drawings: producing a hard as well as heavy body to resist Fig. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the force. Reinforcing rods 28 spaced along sustaininvention in a strong box having advantages in ing bar 29 may be wired or spot weld anchored installation and use at service stations, filling in such assembly for the instance when the struclOi stations for automobiles and chain store types ture is shipped without the concrete. The casting of retail establishments; of the concrete therein may then occur, even at Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II, Fig. 1; the location for use installation. The shell for Fig. 3 is a section on the line III--1II, Fig. 1; the body of concrete may be a metal envelop, fur- Fig. 4 is a partial section on the line IV-IV, ther contributing strength over a naked concrete lFig. 3;- casting.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the loading The shell is shown provided with a peripherally shell having a strong box therein and ready to flanged bottom 30 in which is set sheet metal unit receive the cement; having rear wall 31 and pair of forwardly extend- Fig. 6 is a plan view of the structure of Fig. 5, ing side walls 32. Between the free ends of the with the cover removed; walls 32 a front section 33 is located with its Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View of the cover, and countersink or throat 34. The side walls 32 are Fig. 8 is a section on the line VIII-VIII, Fig. 6. stiffened by inner channels 35 extending upward- For store fixture assembly in symmetry with ly from the bottom plate 30. The rear wall 31 is counter 1, loading mass of reinforced concrete stiffened by angle 36 medially thereof and extend- 2 may have its top 3 approximate continuity with ing upwardly from the bottom 30. so the height of the counter. Embedded in the mass Across the inside of the front section 33 is angle 2 is unit 3, which may be a casting of manganese 37 just below t oat 3 From this angle steel, or other effective attack-resisting material. central portion there extends rearwardly angle This unit 3 has drop portion to closed lower 38 to the angle 36. In the instance that the end 4'from which rises inclined bottom 5 of inner strong box proper has a drop rear section, the chamber Shaving parallel sidewalls '7, 8, connectangle 38 is given an inclined direction to coned by back wall 9 rising from the end 4. Op form thereto. This angle 38 thus serves as a posing the back wall 9. is door frame 10 providing strut which also anchors and sustains the strong a threshold to the inner chamber 5. Hinge 11 box in the structure when shipment is had with- 35 mounts circular door 12 in the. frame 10. In out a loading thereof with cement. The drop closed position of the door 12, lug 13 is in clear bottom inner chamber is a factor contributing to ance region 14 back. of the frame 10, and doorcapacity for the strong box with a minimum of locking bolt 15 is in clearance region 16. This floor space required for the box pedestal. The door 12 is provided with lock 17; bar 38 when embedded in the cement is a rein- 40 i This door 12 closes off the inner chamber 6 from forcement, and it also serves to hold the box in vestibule 18, except as to port "19 in the door proper position in the shell for the casting of frame 10 above the door 12. This port 19 exthe cement thereabout. These metal parts of the tends horizontally and directs coin or other loaded shell, together with the angles and channels are envelopes for stacking in order as thrust thereanchored in set up position by welds.

' through to fall upon the chute 5. The strong box may be introduced through the The vestibule 18 is an outer'cliamber provided throat 34 and welded in position with the reinwith circular opening 2-0.1 Hinges 21 mount door forcements thereabout. The overhang about the 22 to swing into closing position at the opening throat 34 is beyond the spindle 23 and the hinge 20 to be there held closed by lock having outward- 21, and is a protection against jamming should 50 ly projecting operating spindle 23. This spindle the structure be overturned. Furthermore this 23, centrally of the door 22, is operable to thrust countersink about the entrance to the strong box bolt means 24 back of overhang 25 in locking the renders such less accessible to forcible attacks.

door 22 in closed position. Axis 26 of the closed Bar 39 between the channels 35 and overthe box door 22 is eccentric to axis 27 of the closed door is supplementary holding means for the strong -12. There is thus clearance for the inner door box. 10

Cover euwith peripheral flange 41 may be slipped downward upon the freshly poured concrete filling the shell to have prongs 43, which are spot welded. to depend from the under side thereof, embed for setting and anchoring in the concrete. This may provide sufiicient anchorage for the cover. However, when such capping occurs at the place of manufacture for the safe, welds may anchor the cover flange 41 to the shell section 33 and the sides 31, 32.

Strong box i3 is shown of sheet metal, instead of a casting as the unit 3, but even such is substantial herein for a high protective rating. The outer chamber or vestibule may be the only one to which the depositor has access. Such depositor, as the retail clerk or branch store manager, may place the small allotment of loose change in the vestibule for his removal upon occasion. Regulations may be eifective for controlling accumulations to be placed in envelopes and deposited through the port 19. The system may involve identity for the value of the sep rate envelopes and to be identified by coupons in series. The traveling auditor or collector may check directly from the depositors stub book and verify by the collected envelopes which such collector may abstract from the strong box inner chamber. This checking is r adily done, for the configuration of the box with the chute side retains such envelopes in the order of their deposit.

The mass of the load Zsafeguards the strong box against ready portability. The mass as built up on its pedestal to counter height, may thus provide a support for a cash register or be given other use for maximum trading economy of the store room. The armoring of the reinforced concrete is substantial, and the shell is a further factor of strength against attack and any unauthorized access to the strong box.

What'is' claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. For a safe adapted to be assembled in a protective housing, said safe having an inner vertical wall having a port, and an inner chamber having a chamber bottom inclined downward away from the port into the housing.

2. A safe comprising a strong box having a door, a concrete mass enveloping the box and having an opening for the door in the side of the mass upwardly from the mid portion thereof for the mass to provide a pedestal therebelow, and reinforcing rods embedded in the mass over the box and extending downward therefrom into the pedestal.

3. A safe comprising a strong box, and a metal shell therefor including peripherally flanged top and bottom sections, an intermediate section over which the top and bottom sections telescope, there being continuous to the strong box a countersink throat shell portion in the intermediate section nearer the top than the bottom section of the shell with the shell sections therebelow forming a pedestal, said throat providing an entrance way to the strong box housed in the shell, and a loading reinforcement in the shell about the strong box positioning the box as to the shell.

4. A safe shell having inner opposite reinforcing channels, a tie bar between the channels, and a strong box anchored to the tie bar to be thereby spaced from the shell.

5. A safe shell having a lateral entrance, a reinforcing bar below the entrance and spaced from the bottom of the shell, a reinforcing bar rearwardly of the entrance and upwardly extending from the shell bottom, a strut extending between the bars, and a strong box located in the entrance and on the strut.

CHAS. F. MEILINK. KENNETH C. WEATHERBY. 

